Category Manager

COREcruitment Ltd; City Of London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

COREcruitment Ltd places a Category Manager in London for a well established food business. You will own category performance, develop strategies and collaborate with sales, marketing, procurement and supply chain to maximise profitability and growth.

The role is office based 5 days a week in London, offering progression opportunities and a strong emphasis on data-driven decision making, product ranging, pricing and promotions to drive category success.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Category Management role within food, FMCG, grocery, food manufacturing or foodservice.
• Strong understanding of category strategy, product ranging, pricing, promotions and commercial performance.
• Demonstrable success in driving sales growth, improving margins and delivering measurable commercial results.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Experience working collaboratively with sales, marketing, procurement and supply chain teams.
• Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of customer and consumer behaviour.
• Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, results-driven approach with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver against deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement category strategies aligned with the wider commercial objectives of the business.
• Take ownership of category performance, driving sales growth, profitability, market share and margin improvement.
• Analyse sales data, market trends, competitor activity and customer insights to identify opportunities for growth.
• Lead category reviews, range optimisation and product assortment planning to maximise commercial performance.
• Identify opportunities for new product development, innovation and portfolio expansion.
• Manage pricing strategies, promotional activity and product positioning to improve sales and profitability.
• Work closely with sales teams to develop customer‑specific category plans, presentations and commercial proposals.
• Collaborate with marketing teams to support product launches, promotional campaigns and category development initiatives.
• Monitor key performance indicators, including revenue, margin, volume, distribution and promotional effectiveness.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external customers, suppliers and commercial partners.
• Work cross‑functionally with procurement and supply chain teams to support forecasting, availability and stock optimisation.
• Prepare regular category performance reports, providing actionable recommendations to drive continuous improvement.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the competitive landscape, emerging food trends and evolving customer requirements.

Skills

Category management

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Presentation

Communication

Job description

Category Manager – Well Established Food Business – London - £50-55K + Benefits

My client is a well-established food business with a great reputation, impressive growth and ambitious future plans.

They are currently looking for a Category Manager to join their team.The successful Category Manager will take ownership of category performance, developing and implementing strategies that drive sales growth, improve profitability and strengthen the overall product offering.Working collaboratively with sales, marketing, procurement and supply chain teams, you will use market insights, customer data and commercial analysis to identify opportunities, optimise product ranges and maximise category performance.

This role is office based 5 days a week is the perfect opportunity for a talented category manager who is looking to join a fast-paced business who will offer full accountability and genuine progression opportunities.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement category strategies aligned with the wider commercial objectives of the business.
• Take ownership of category performance, driving sales growth, profitability, market share and margin improvement.
• Analyse sales data, market trends, competitor activity and customer insights to identify opportunities for growth.
• Lead category reviews, range optimisation and product assortment planning to maximise commercial performance.
• Identify opportunities for new product development, innovation and portfolio expansion.
• Manage pricing strategies, promotional activity and product positioning to improve sales and profitability.
• Work closely with sales teams to develop customer‑specific category plans, presentations and commercial proposals.
• Collaborate with marketing teams to support product launches, promotional campaigns and category development initiatives.
• Monitor key performance indicators, including revenue, margin, volume, distribution and promotional effectiveness.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external customers, suppliers and commercial partners.
• Work cross‑functionally with procurement and supply chain teams to support forecasting, availability and stock optimisation.
• Prepare regular category performance reports, providing actionable recommendations to drive continuous improvement.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the competitive landscape, emerging food trends and evolving customer requirements.

The Ideal Category Manager Candidate:

• Proven experience in a Category Management role within food, FMCG, grocery, food manufacturing or foodservice.
• A strong understanding of category strategy, product ranging, pricing, promotions and commercial performance.
• Demonstrable success in driving sales growth, improving margins and delivering measurable commercial results.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Experience working collaboratively with sales, marketing, procurement and supply chain teams.
• Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of customer and consumer behaviour.
• Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive, results‑driven approach with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver against deadlines.